Darren Johnson today welcomed ‘Prospectus to London the Low Carbon Capital’, commissioned by the Mayor of London, which examines the low carbon economy and how London can capitalise on this emerging market. The report estimates that ‘green activities’ such as the retrofitting of buildings and the introduction of electric vehicles will bring thousand of jobs and £600m of Gross Value Added (GVA) to the capital.
"I have been lobbying for this report for over a year. It confirms my view that a ‘green economy’ can bring massive financial benefits to the capital and provide work for thousands of unemployed Londoners. But action needs to be taken now."
"In the past year we have seen the Mayor’s London Development Agency fail to spend £13 million available for the environment, attempt to scrap the Mayor’s free home insulation scheme and fail to meet carbon reduction targets. Only last Tuesday the Mayor revealed that he would be halving his environment team and there are clear concerns over whether City Hall will have the capacity to deliver the action required."
"The Mayor must stop delaying programmes to insulate London’s homes and to produce clean energy from waste. He must take urgent action to provide London with the new engineering, plumbing and building skills needs to make London the low carbon capital."